From his lofty perch he looked down at the tiny boat being buffeted by the wind and waves. He felt a thrill of excitement, anticipation and fear. Excitement at the fact that the boat did not have a chance to survive and anticipation at its soon demise. Fear from a sense foreboding…from whom or of what he could not yet define…and yet…?! Buried far beneath all conscious thought his last sane spark strove to interpret it not as fear but hope…! Hope was in that boat…and deliverance from this long … what was it? Imprisonment…? Torment…? Despair…? He felt the cold wind suddenly and realized that he was naked!? I’m naked???
“Quiet!!!” thundered one of the obscene voices in his mind…
“Get Down!!!”
“Get Back!!!” … And his sanity retreated in defeat before the multitude of voices that had invaded so long ago becoming one with him.
The cold disappeared suddenly with the retreat of sanity and he continued to stare in fiendish anticipation of the undisputed end to the tragedy being played out on the turbulence of the watery stage before him.
He drooled as the panicked figures struggled futilely before the devilish fury of the waves and wind…Ha! Good one …devilish indeed he chuckled gleefully licking his lips…”Scurry you little rats! Feel the wrath of my master…the evil one…die!!! die!!...Wait! Why is that one running to the rear of the boat? Who is he shaking?”
The fear is back!
“Who's that lying there…why is He lying there...sleeping??? …in this storm?...It can’t be…!?”
But it is!!! And He’s standing up…it is Him!”
He stared in dismay and swelling fear as the figure rose to His full height. Even in his abject fear and dismay he was aware of the great awe increasing within him as the Holy One stood there looking into the teeth of the tempest with complete calm and control! The wonder and dread mounted within him as the Holy One gave a sharp word of command…Over the howling wind he heard the words “Peace! Be Still!”… and the wind and waves went to sleep like a baby…!
Nooo…it can’t be…against his will he felt a compulsion to rush down the slope towards the Holy One who had just stepped out of the boat which seemed to suddenly come to land. He would have loved to run in the opposite direction but could not.
The spark of sanity bubbled up again…again he felt cold…but he was glad that he was running towards Him!.
“NO!...Quiet!...Shut Up!...Get Down…!” But his steps continued relentlessly towards the Holy One. Fury filled him as he tried in rage and terror to run Him down...to destroy Him…How dare He come now...It was not time!”
He made a last raging dash to grab when the sharp command rocked him like a blow from a mountainous hand. He staggered and fell; foaming at the mouth...he called out in fear and awe! “I know who you are…Son of God…Holy One! Please do not torment me! It’s not time…I beg you torment me not…please!!! He laid there on the ground as the disciples of the Creator stared in awe and curiosity.
“What’s your name?”
Huh? Aw come on you know me he thought but was compelled to respond. There was no choice. “Legion O Holy One…my name is legion for we are many...Please let us be…do not send us to the abyss…”
In desperation his eyes caught sight of the herd of swine feeding on the hillside.
“Please Lord! Send us to the swine! Not the abyss! Please!”
His sanity suddenly floated up as he felt obscenity, loath, depression, anger, hostility, lust, depravity, despair and a thousand other horrible elements dissolve and melt away from him and his sane mind took control. Through tear filled eyes he was barely conscious of a herd of maniacally screaming swine on the hill rushing and plunging into the sea as his eyes sought those of his Deliverer.
He looked up into the face of Jesus…into His eyes and saw the compassion, pity and love radiating towards him enveloping his entire shivering being…and suddenly he was warm! Everything was now okay! The Master was here! He was now back in control of himself. The hideous demons were gone!!!
He bowed his head at Jesus’ feet washing them with his tears of gratitude as someone kindly placed a robe over his nakedness.
© 2009 Victor Ramlall
“Quiet!!!” thundered one of the obscene voices in his mind…
“Get Down!!!”
“Get Back!!!” … And his sanity retreated in defeat before the multitude of voices that had invaded so long ago becoming one with him.
The cold disappeared suddenly with the retreat of sanity and he continued to stare in fiendish anticipation of the undisputed end to the tragedy being played out on the turbulence of the watery stage before him.
He drooled as the panicked figures struggled futilely before the devilish fury of the waves and wind…Ha! Good one …devilish indeed he chuckled gleefully licking his lips…”Scurry you little rats! Feel the wrath of my master…the evil one…die!!! die!!...Wait! Why is that one running to the rear of the boat? Who is he shaking?”
The fear is back!
“Who's that lying there…why is He lying there...sleeping??? …in this storm?...It can’t be…!?”
But it is!!! And He’s standing up…it is Him!”
He stared in dismay and swelling fear as the figure rose to His full height. Even in his abject fear and dismay he was aware of the great awe increasing within him as the Holy One stood there looking into the teeth of the tempest with complete calm and control! The wonder and dread mounted within him as the Holy One gave a sharp word of command…Over the howling wind he heard the words “Peace! Be Still!”… and the wind and waves went to sleep like a baby…!
Nooo…it can’t be…against his will he felt a compulsion to rush down the slope towards the Holy One who had just stepped out of the boat which seemed to suddenly come to land. He would have loved to run in the opposite direction but could not.
The spark of sanity bubbled up again…again he felt cold…but he was glad that he was running towards Him!.
“NO!...Quiet!...Shut Up!...Get Down…!” But his steps continued relentlessly towards the Holy One. Fury filled him as he tried in rage and terror to run Him down...to destroy Him…How dare He come now...It was not time!”
He made a last raging dash to grab when the sharp command rocked him like a blow from a mountainous hand. He staggered and fell; foaming at the mouth...he called out in fear and awe! “I know who you are…Son of God…Holy One! Please do not torment me! It’s not time…I beg you torment me not…please!!! He laid there on the ground as the disciples of the Creator stared in awe and curiosity.
“What’s your name?”
Huh? Aw come on you know me he thought but was compelled to respond. There was no choice. “Legion O Holy One…my name is legion for we are many...Please let us be…do not send us to the abyss…”
In desperation his eyes caught sight of the herd of swine feeding on the hillside.
“Please Lord! Send us to the swine! Not the abyss! Please!”
His sanity suddenly floated up as he felt obscenity, loath, depression, anger, hostility, lust, depravity, despair and a thousand other horrible elements dissolve and melt away from him and his sane mind took control. Through tear filled eyes he was barely conscious of a herd of maniacally screaming swine on the hill rushing and plunging into the sea as his eyes sought those of his Deliverer.
He looked up into the face of Jesus…into His eyes and saw the compassion, pity and love radiating towards him enveloping his entire shivering being…and suddenly he was warm! Everything was now okay! The Master was here! He was now back in control of himself. The hideous demons were gone!!!
He bowed his head at Jesus’ feet washing them with his tears of gratitude as someone kindly placed a robe over his nakedness.
© 2009 Victor Ramlall
